these responses are overwhelmingly amazing. they are truly inspiring and helpful. thankyou so much for your obvious genuine care/understanding. i have decided to go to a meeting. i want to do this. but i can see how hard it is going to be. i see that im going to have to shed some friendships in the process of all this, which is scary, and shed some of my personality as well. thats really scary. this is all very scary actually. today was hard, its a long weekend in australia and there are so many parties, so many people drinking, so many people offering me drinks. at one moment i almost busted it. i thought a few cans of scotches wont do anything....not the way a few glasses of wine does to me....but i didn't. its one day at a time isnt it? thats actually all i can cope with comprehending at the moment. actually this is all very depressing. im moving between feelings of doing the right thing and utter helpless sadness at the prspect of leaving alcohol for good. why is this so hard??? there is actually nothign more i want in the world right now than a drink. nothing at all. my son is asleep and the take away is 50 meters from my door. i came online here again cause thats all i can do to not do what i want to do..... im still stunned about why this is so hard. and feel a little depressed that i have made this decision. is this normal? and for gods sake when do you stop thinking about a drink? does this ever happen? because i have never tried to abstain from alcohol (never seriously) i never realised how morose this feeling is. i feel trapped. anyway....not tonight. im thinking how nice i will feel in the morning. i can be proud of that moment. thanks again for listening.
WE, OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, know thousands of men and women who were once just as hopeless as Bill. Nearly all have recovered. They have solved the drink problem.
We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captainīs table. Unlike the feelings of the shipīs passengers, however, our joy in escape from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways. The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined.
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism.
Hey, This is an excerpt from the "Big Book". We can rely on absolutely anything it says. Thanks for being here.
-- Edited by Marc T. at 08:52, 2008-10-05
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False Events Appearing Real
Sometimes one must stand to do the "next right thing"
Hi There Isnt it funny how when we give something up thats all we think about.? Its like dieting...I never really watched what I ate but as soon as I attempted to diet, alls I I could think about is food!!!!
For me, I had to pray for the obsession to be removed. Finally, it happened. I would still have moments of, a drink sounds good, but was quickly relieved by some miracle! They do get farther apart as time goes by.
I think it is hard in the beginning to imagine life without alcohol. Thats why we take it one day at a time. I found by going to meetings and telling myself I wouldnt drink, just for today, it made it a bit simpler. For me, I couldnt go to places where I knew there would be alcohol. But found it overwhelming because everything I did or went or people I hung with all drank. Thats why I had to make new friends and avoid those situations. Hard at first but today Im glad I made that decision!
Hang in, you can do it!
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"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. "
